Continuous take off technique and pressure control of polymerization reactors

ABSTRACT

A polymerization reactor system includes features for operating two or more reactors in series or parallel. The system includes a discharge line coupled to an outlet of a first polymerization reactor, a first conduit connecting the first polymerization reactor to a second polymerization reactor via the discharge line, a second conduit connecting the first polymerization reactor to a flashline apparatus via the discharge line, and a diverter valve coupling the first and second conduits to the discharge line. The diverter valve is configured to selectively open the discharge line to the first conduit and close the discharge line to the second conduit in a first valve state and to selectively open the discharge line to the second conduit and close the discharge line to the first conduit in a second valve state. The diverter valve is capable of switching between the first and second valve states.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/785,333, entitled “Continuous Take Off Technique and Pressure Controlof Polymerization Reactors” filed on May 21, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No.8,344,078 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to polyolefin production and,more specifically, to techniques and systems that employ two or morepolymerization reactors in a polyolefin reactor system.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to aspects of art thatmay be related to aspects of the present disclosure, which are describedand/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful inproviding the reader with background information to facilitate a betterunderstanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure.Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to beread in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

As chemical and petrochemical technologies have advanced, the productsof these technologies have become increasingly prevalent in society. Inparticular, as techniques for bonding simple molecular building blocksinto longer chains (or polymers) have advanced, the polymer products,typically in the form of various plastics, have been increasinglyincorporated into various everyday items. For example, polyolefinpolymers, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and their copolymers, areused for retail and pharmaceutical packaging, food and beveragepackaging (such as juice and soda bottles), household containers (suchas pails and boxes), household items (such as appliances, furniture,carpeting, and toys), automobile components, pipes, conduits, andvarious industrial products.

Polyolefins may be produced from various monomers, such as ethylene,propylene, butene, pentene, hexene, octene, decene, and other buildingblocks. If one monomer is used for polymerization, the polymer isreferred to as a homopolymer, while incorporation of different monomerscreates a copolymer or terpolymer, and so on. Monomers may be added to apolymerization reactor, such as a liquid-phase reactor or a gas-phasereactor, where they are converted to polymers. In the liquid-phasereactor, an inert hydrocarbon, such as isobutane, propane, n-pentane,i-pentane, neopentane, and/or n-hexane, may be utilized as a diluent tocarry the contents of the reactor. A catalyst may also be added to thereactor to facilitate the polymerization reaction. An example of such acatalyst is a chromium oxide containing hexavalent chromium on a silicasupport. Unlike the monomers, catalysts are generally not consumed inthe polymerization reaction.

As polymer chains develop during polymerization, solid particles knownas “fluff” or “flake” or “powder” are produced. The fluff may possessone or more melt, physical, rheological, and/or mechanical properties ofinterest, such as density, melt index (MI), melt flow rate (MFR),copolymer content, comonomer content, modulus, and crystallinity.Different fluff properties may be desirable depending on the applicationto which the polyolefin fluff or subsequently pelletized fluff is to beapplied. Control of the reaction conditions within the reactor, such astemperature, pressure, chemical concentrations, polymer production rate,catalyst type, and so forth, may affect the fluff properties.

In some circumstances, in order to achieve certain desired polymercharacteristics, the overall polymerization conditions may require thatmore than one reactor be employed, with each reactor having its own setof conditions. Such polymers may be multimodal polymers, where at leasttwo polymers, each having a different molecular weight fraction, arecombined into one polymer product. In a general sense, a polyolefinproduced in each reactor will be suspended in a diluent to form aproduct slurry. The reactors may be connected in series, such that theproduct slurry from one reactor may be transferred to a subsequentreactor, and so forth, until a polymer is produced with the desired setof characteristics. For example, a bimodal polymer may be produced bytwo reactors in series; a trimodal polymer may need three, and so on.

In some instances, the flow of slurry that is transferred from onereactor to the next may be unstable (e.g., a non-uniform distribution ofsolids throughout the slurry), resulting in “salting out” of solids fromthe diluent. Such a situation may cause clogging during transfer, or maycause a reactor to clog, resulting in reactor fouling. To the extentthat clogging may result in deviations from a set of desired reactionconditions, the polymer product produced within a reactor may not meetthe desired specifications; that is, the product may be “off-spec.” Asmay be appreciated, the fouling of one or more reactors within a seriesmay cause the ultimate polyolefin that is produced by the system to besignificantly off-spec. In extreme or runaway fouling situations,control of the process may be lost entirely, and a portion of the systememploying the reactors in series may become plugged with polymer,requiring significant downtime (e.g., one to three weeks) to clear.Unfortunately, during this time, the polymerization system may not beoperated and polyolefin may not be produced. Thus, it may be desirableto avoid fouling by preventing reactor clogging and maintaining stableslurries during transfer. Streamlining such a process employing multiplereactors in series may result in increased efficiency, less systemdowntime, and increased overall product capacity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the present disclosure may become apparent upon readingthe following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block flow diagram depicting a polyolefin manufacturingsystem for the continuous production of polyolefins in accordance withan embodiment of the present techniques;

FIG. 2 is a schematic overview of a dual reactor system in accordancewith an embodiment of the present techniques;

FIG. 3 is an illustration of a continuous take off device of a dualreactor system in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechniques;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of piping features of a dual reactor system inaccordance with an embodiment of the present techniques;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a flashline for polyolefin recovery anddiluent recycle in accordance with an embodiment of the presenttechniques; and

FIG. 6 is a block flow diagram of a method of operating a dual reactorsystem in accordance with an embodiment of the present techniques.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

One or more specific embodiments of the present disclosure will bedescribed below. In an effort to provide a concise description of theseembodiments, not all features of an actual implementation are describedin the specification. It should be appreciated that in the developmentof any such actual implementation, as in any engineering or designproject, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made toachieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance withsystem-related and business-related constraints, which may vary from oneimplementation to another. Moreover, it should be appreciated that sucha development effort might be complex and time consuming, but wouldnevertheless be a routine undertaking of design, fabrication, andmanufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of thisdisclosure.

I. Polyolefin Production Process—an Overview

Products made from polyolefins have become increasingly prevalent insociety as plastic products. One benefit of these polyolefins is thatthey are generally non-reactive when put in contact with various goodsor products. In particular, plastic products from polyolefins are usedfor retail and pharmaceutical packaging (such as display bags, bottles,and medication containers), food and beverage packaging (such as juiceand soda bottles), household and industrial containers (such as pails,drums and boxes), household items (such as appliances, furniture,carpeting, and toys), automobile components, fluid, gas and electricalconduction products (such as cable wrap, pipes, and conduits), andvarious other industrial and consumer products. The wide variety ofresidential, commercial and industrial uses for polyolefins hastranslated into a substantial demand for raw polyolefin which can beextruded, injected, blown or otherwise formed into a final consumableproduct or component.

In the production of polyolefins, polymerization reactors, whichpolymerize monomers into polyolefins, and extruders, which convert thepolyolefins into polyolefin pellets, are typically components ofpolymerization systems undergoing continuous operation. However, avariety of both continuous and batch systems may be employed throughoutthe polyolefin process. Turning now to the drawings, and referringinitially to FIG. 1, a block diagram depicts an exemplary manufacturingprocess 10 for producing polyolefins, such as polyethylene homopolymer,copolymer, and/or terpolymer. Various suppliers 12 may provide reactorfeedstocks 14 to the manufacturing system 10 via pipelines, trucks,cylinders, drums, and so forth. The suppliers 12 may comprise off-siteand/or on-site facilities, including olefin plants, refineries, catalystplants, and the like. Examples of possible feedstocks 14 include olefinmonomers and comonomers (such as ethylene, propylene, butene, hexene,octene, and decene), diluents (such as propane, isobutane, n-hexane, andn-heptane), chain transfer agents (such as hydrogen), catalysts (such asZiegler catalysts, Ziegler-Natta catalysts, chromium catalysts, andmetallocene catalysts), co-catalysts (such as triethylaluminum alkyl,triethylboron, and methyl aluminoxane), and other additives. In the caseof ethylene monomer, exemplary ethylene feedstock may be supplied viapipeline at approximately 800-1450 pounds per square inch gauge (psig)at 45-65° F. Exemplary hydrogen feedstock may also be supplied viapipeline, but at approximately 900-1000 psig at 90-110° F. Of course, avariety of supply conditions may exist for ethylene, hydrogen, and otherfeedstocks 14.

A. Feed System

The suppliers 12 typically provide the feedstocks 14 to a reactor feedsystem 16, where the feedstocks 14 may be stored, such as in monomerstorage and feed tanks, diluent vessels, catalyst tanks, co-catalystcylinders and tanks, and so forth. In the feed system 16, the feedstocks14 may be treated or processed prior to their introduction as feedstreams 18 into the polymerization reactors of a reactor system 20. Forexample, feedstocks 14, such as monomer, comonomer, and diluent, may besent through treatment beds (e.g., molecular sieve beds, aluminumpacking, etc.) to remove catalyst poisons in the feed system 16. Suchcatalyst poisons may include, for example, water, oxygen, carbonmonoxide, carbon dioxide, and organic compounds containing sulfur,oxygen, or halogens. The olefin monomer and comonomers may be liquid,gaseous, or a supercritical fluid, depending on the type of reactor orreactors within reactor system 20 being fed. Furthermore, in operation,the feed system 16 may also store, treat, and meter recovered reactoreffluent for recycle to the reactor system 20. Indeed, operations in thefeed system 16 generally receive both the feedstock 14 and recoveredreactor effluent streams. It should be noted that typically only arelatively small amount of fresh make-up diluent as feedstock 14 isutilized, with a majority of the diluent fed to the polymerizationreactor(s) recovered from the reactor effluent.

The feed system 16 may also prepare or condition other feedstocks 14,such as catalysts, for addition to the polymerization reactors. Forexample, a catalyst may be activated, as described below, and then mixedwith diluent (e.g., isobutane or hexane) or mineral oil in catalystpreparation tanks. As described above, catalyst may also be recoveredfrom the reactor effluent. In total, the feedstocks 14 and recoveredreactor effluent are processed in the feed system 16 and fed as feedstreams 18 (e.g., streams of monomer, comonomer, diluent, catalysts,co-catalysts, hydrogen, additives, or combinations thereof) to thereactor system 20. Further, the feed system 16 typically provides formetering and controlling the addition rate of the feedstocks 14 into thereactor system 20 to maintain the desired reactor stability and/or toachieve the desired polyolefin properties or production rate.

B. Reactor System

The reactor system 20 may have one or more reactor vessels, such asliquid-phase reactors, gas-phase reactors, or a combination thereof.Multiple reactors may be arranged in series, in parallel, or in anyother suitable combination or configuration. In polymerization reactorvessels, one or more olefin monomers are polymerized to form a productcontaining polymer particulates, typically called fluff or granules. Thefluff may possess one or more melt, physical, rheological, and/ormechanical properties of interest, such as density, melt index (MI),melt flow rate (MFR), copolymer or comonomer content, modulus, andcrystallinity. The reaction conditions, such as temperature, pressure,flow rate, mechanical agitation, product takeoff, componentconcentrations, polymer production rate, and so forth, may be selectedto achieve the desired fluff properties.

In addition to the one or more olefin monomers, a catalyst thatfacilitates polymerization of the monomer is typically added to thereactor. The catalyst may be a particle suspended in the fluid mediumwithin the reactor. In general, Ziegler catalysts, Ziegler-Nattacatalysts, metallocenes, and other well-known polyolefin catalysts, aswell as co-catalysts, may be used. An example of such a catalyst is achromium oxide catalyst containing hexavalent chromium on a silicasupport. Increased catalyst conversion in the feed system 16 may alsoenable a higher MI potential in the reactor system 20.

In addition to the feedstock 14 described above, diluent may be fed intoa liquid-phase reactor. The diluent may be an inert hydrocarbon that isa liquid or a supercritical fluid at reaction conditions, depending onthe desired properties of the polymer fluff or the slurry. The diluentmay include isobutane, propane, n-pentane, i-pentane, neopentane,n-hexane, cyclohexane, cyclopentane, methylcyclopentane,ethylcyclohexane, and the like, or combinations thereof. The purpose ofthe diluent is generally to suspend the catalyst particles and polymerwithin the reactor. It should be noted that the temperature and pressurewithin the reactor may affect the solubility properties of the diluent.For example, at certain temperatures and/or pressures, the diluent maybe a liquid or a supercritical fluid. Indeed, in some embodiments, thereactor may be kept at or above a critical temperature, a criticalpressure, or a combination of both, of the reactor contents. Forexample, conditions of the reactor may be such that the diluent and allother polymerization components (such as the feedstock 14) within thereactor are supercritical fluids. Under such supercritical conditions,there may be a substantial absence of a thermodynamic transition betweenthe liquid and gas phase of the polymerization components. Thesupercritical conditions at which one or more reactors of the reactorsystem 20 is maintained may allow higher rates of mixing, higher flowrates, faster dispersion, and so forth within the reactor compared toconditions in which the diluent is a liquid.

As an example, in one implementation, the reactor may utilize propane asdiluent, and may be operated at or above the critical point of the totalreactor contents. Accordingly, for example, the propane diluent andother polymerization components are maintained as a supercritical fluid.It should be noted that a variety of factors may affect the criticaltemperature and pressure of the reactor contents. Such factors mayinclude but are not limited to the relative concentrations of thepolymerization components, the amount of impurities present within thepolymerization components, such as the amount of unbranched hydrocarbonin a branched hydrocarbon diluent, other catalyst poisons such as water,CO₂ and O₂, and so on. Therefore, it may be desirable to monitor thenature of the reactor contents to ascertain if the reactor is operatingat supercritical conditions. In other embodiments, the reactor may beoperated at semi-supercritical conditions, such as below the criticalpressure but at or above the critical temperature, or below the criticaltemperature but above the critical pressure of the reactor contents.

A motive device may be present within the reactor in the reactor system20. For example, within a liquid-phase reactor, such as a loop slurryreactor, an impeller may create a turbulent mixing zone within the fluidmedium. The impeller may be driven by a motor to propel the fluid mediumas well as any catalyst, polyolefin fluff, or other solid particulatessuspended within the fluid medium, through the closed loop of thereactor. Similarly, within a gas-phase reactor, such as a fluidized bedreactor or plug flow reactor, one or more paddles or stirrers may beused to mix the solid particles within the reactor.

C. Effluent Treatment and Feed Recovery

A discharge 22 of the reactors within the reactor system 20 may includethe polymer fluff as well as non-polymer components, such as diluent,unreacted monomer/comonomer, and residual catalyst. After leaving thereactor system 20, the discharge 22 may be subsequently processed, suchas by an effluent treatment system 24, to separate non-polymercomponents 26 (e.g., diluent, unreacted monomer, and catalyst) frompolymer fluff 28.

The recovered non-polymer components 26 may be processed, such as by afractionation system 30, to remove undesirable heavy and lightcomponents. Fractionated product streams 32 may then be returned to thereactor system 20 via the feed system 16. In addition, some or all ofthe non-polymer components 26 may recycle more directly to the feedsystem 16 via a non-fractionated product stream 34, bypassing thefractionation system 30. Additionally, in some embodiments, thefractionation system 30 may perform fractionation of the feedstocks 14before introduction into the feed system 16. For example, monomercomponents may be separated from diluent components, such that any oneor combination of polymerization components may be controllably fed intothe reactor system 20.

The polymer fluff 28 may be further processed within the effluenttreatment system 24 and/or in an extrusion/loadout system 36, asdescribed below. Although not illustrated, polymer granules and/oractive residual catalyst intermediate in the effluent treatment system24 may be returned to the reactor system 20 for further polymerization,such as in a different type of reactor or under different reactionconditions.

D. Extrusion/Loadout System

In the extrusion/loadout system 36, the polymer fluff 28 is typicallyextruded to produce polymer pellets 38 with the desired mechanical,physical, and melt characteristics. Extruder feed may contain additives,such as UV inhibitors and peroxides, which are added to the polymerfluff 28 to impart desired characteristics to the extruded polymerpellets 38. An extruder/pelletizer within the extrusion/loadout system36 receives the extruder feed, containing the polymer fluff 28 andwhatever additives have been added. The extruder/pelletizer heats andmelts the extruder feed which then may be extruded (e.g., via a twinscrew extruder) through a pelletizer die of the extrusion/loadout system36 under pressure to form polyolefin pellets 38. Such pellets 38 may becooled in a water system disposed at or near the discharge of theextruder/pelletizer.

In general, the polyolefin pellets may then be transported to a productload-out area where the pellets may be stored, blended with otherpellets, and/or loaded into railcars, trucks, bags, and so forth, fordistribution to customers 40. In the case of polyethylene, the pellets38 shipped to the customers 40 may include low density polyethylene(LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium densitypolyethylene (MDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), and enhancedpolyethylene. The various types and grades of polyethylene pellets 38may be marketed, for example, under the brand names Marlex® polyethyleneor MarFlex™ polyethylene of Chevron-Phillips Chemical Company, LP, ofThe Woodlands, Tex., USA.

The polymerization and effluent treatment portions of the polyolefinmanufacturing process 10 may be called the “wet” end 42 or “reaction”side of the process 10, while the extrusion/loadout portion of thepolyolefin process 10 may be called the “dry” end 44 or “finishing” sideof the polyolefin process 10.

E. Customers, Applications, and End-Uses

The produced polyolefin (e.g., polyethylene) pellets 38 may be used inthe manufacture of a variety of products, components, household itemsand other items, including adhesives (e.g., hot-melt adhesiveapplications), electrical wire and cable, agricultural films, shrinkfilm, stretch film, food packaging films, flexible food packaging, milkcontainers, frozen-food packaging, trash and can liners, grocery bags,heavy-duty sacks, plastic bottles, safety equipment, coatings, toys andan array of containers and plastic products. Ultimately, the productsand components formed from the pellets 38 may be further processed andassembled for distribution and sale to the consumer. For example, apolyethylene milk bottle may be filled with milk for distribution to theconsumer, or the fuel tank may be assembled into an automobile fordistribution and sale to the consumer.

To form end-products or components from the pellets 38, the pellets 38are generally subjected to further processing, such as blow molding,injection molding, rotational molding, blown film, cast film, extrusion(e.g., sheet extrusion, pipe and corrugated extrusion,coating/lamination extrusion, etc.), and so on. Blow molding is aprocess used for producing hollow plastic parts. The process typicallyemploys blow molding equipment, such as reciprocating screw machines,accumulator head machines, and so on. The blow molding process may betailored to meet the customer's needs, and to manufacture productsranging from the plastic milk bottles to the automotive fuel tanksmentioned above. Similarly, in injection molding, products andcomponents may be molded for a wide range of applications, includingcontainers, food and chemical packaging, toys, automotive, crates, capsand closures, to name a few.

Extrusion processes may also be used. Polyethylene pipe, for example,may be extruded from polyethylene pellet resins and used in anassortment of applications due to its chemical resistance, relative easeof installation, durability and cost advantages, and the like. Indeed,plastic polyethylene piping has achieved significant use for watermains, gas distribution, storm and sanitary sewers, interior plumbing,electrical conduits, power and communications ducts, chilled waterpiping, well casing, to name a few applications. In particular,high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which generally constitutes thelargest volume of the polyolefin group of plastics used for pipe, istough, abrasion-resistant and flexible (even at subfreezingtemperatures). Furthermore, HDPE pipe may be used in small diametertubing and in pipe up to more than 8 feet in diameter. In general,polyethylene pellets (resins) may be supplied for the pressure pipingmarkets, such as in natural gas distribution, and for the non-pressurepiping markets, such as for conduit and corrugated piping.

Rotational molding is a high-temperature, low-pressure process used toform hollow parts through the application of heat to biaxially-rotatedmolds. Polyethylene pellet resins generally applicable in this processare those resins that flow together in the absence of pressure whenmelted to form a bubble-free part. Pellets 38, such as certain Marlex®HDPE and MDPE resins, offer such flow characteristics, as well as a wideprocessing window. Furthermore, these polyethylene resins suitable forrotational molding may exhibit desirable low-temperature impactstrength, good load-bearing properties, and good ultraviolet (UV)stability. Accordingly, applications for rotationally-molded Marlex®resins include agricultural tanks, industrial chemical tanks, potablewater storage tanks, industrial waste containers, recreationalequipment, marine products, plus many more.

Sheet extrusion is a technique for making flat plastic sheets from avariety of pellet 38 resins. The relatively thin gauge sheets aregenerally thermoformed into packaging applications such as drink cups,deli containers, produce trays, baby wipe containers and margarine tubs.Other markets for sheet extrusion of polyolefin include those thatutilize relatively thicker sheets for industrial and recreationalapplications, such as truck bed liners, pallets, automotive dunnage,playground equipment, and boats. A third use for extruded sheet, forexample, is in geomembranes, where flat-sheet polyethylene material iswelded into large containment systems for mining applications andmunicipal waste disposal.

The blown film process is a relatively diverse conversion system usedfor polyethylene. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)defines films as less than 0.254 millimeter (10 mils) in thickness.However, the blown film process can produce materials as thick as 0.5millimeter (20 mils), and higher. Furthermore, blow molding inconjunction with monolayer and/or multilayer coextrusion technologiesprovide the groundwork for several applications. Advantageous propertiesof the blow molding products may include clarity, strength, tearability,optical properties, and toughness, to name a few. Applications mayinclude food and retail packaging, industrial packaging, andnon-packaging applications, such as agricultural films, hygiene film,and so forth.

The cast film process may differ from the blown film process through thefast quench and virtual unidirectional orientation capabilities. Thesecharacteristics allow a cast film line, for example, to operate athigher production rates while producing beneficial optics. Applicationsin food and retail packaging take advantage of these strengths. Finally,the polyolefin pellets 38 may also be supplied for the extrusion coatingand lamination industry.

II. Pressure Control of Multiple Polymerization Reactors

The pellets 38 may be formed using a wide variety of techniques suchthat the resultant products exhibit characteristics that are considereddesirable for some of the aforementioned applications. For example, insome instances, the pellets 38 may be multimodal. That is, the pellets38 may exhibit a wide range of characteristics resulting from thecombination of one or more polymerization processes. To name a fewexamples, bimodal polymers often have success in various applications ofpiping as well as food packaging, blow molding and lamination. Indeed,bimodal polymers have many uses wherein the processing of a polymerinvolves molding, extrusion, and the like.

Methods to produce bimodal pellets may involve a process wherein a firstmonomer or monomers is polymerized, under a given set of conditions, toproduce a first polymer. Typically, the first polymer that is producedis a solid polymer particle that is suspended in a liquid orsupercritical diluent, which forms a first slurry. The first slurry mayalso contain the unreacted first monomer or monomers and the catalystoriginally used to polymerize the first monomer, as well as variousadditives (e.g., co-catalysts, activators, reducing agents). To removethe first slurry produced by the first reactor, some existing techniquesprovide for the first slurry to be removed using settling legs disposedalong the length of the first reactor. For example, in a loop reactor,settling legs may be disposed along one or more of the horizontallengths of the loop reactor and/or on the bottom elbows of the reactor.Once the settling legs are filled, a valve opens that allows the firstslurry to be removed.

Bimodal polymer formation may require a second polymer to be formed in aseparate, second polymerization reactor, where a transfer slurry (i.e.,the withdrawn first slurry) is introduced along with a second monomer,which may or may not be the same as the first monomer. For example, thefirst monomer may be ethylene, while the second may be butylene orpropylene. In some embodiments, both monomers may be ethylene.Nevertheless, the second monomer is polymerized to form a secondpolymer, which may be incorporated with the first polymer. The secondpolymer may be produced in such a way as to incorporate differentadditives and/or to display a different set of properties than the firstpolymer. Indeed, the second polymerization reactor may have a differentset of catalysts, monomers, additives, co-catalysts, diluents, andreaction conditions than the first polymerization reactor, which allowsfor the production of polymers with subtle to drastic differences. Forinstance, in some embodiments, it may be desirable that the firstpolymer and the second polymer, produced from the same monomer, havediffering densities, or such that the first polymer (polyolefin) has afirst molecular weight distribution that differs from a second molecularweight distribution of the second polymer. The molecular weightdistributions may be considered different in embodiments where thedistributions are measured by average molecular weights, or measured bytheir respective ratios of weight-average molecular weight to numberaverage molecular weight (M_(w)/M_(n)), and the measurements aredifferent by at least approximately 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% or more.

As with the first slurry, the first and second polymer may be suspendedby a liquid or supercritical diluent as part of a second slurry.Existing techniques, as before, may provide for the second slurry to beremoved by settling legs disposed along the length of the second reactor(much in the way that the first slurry is removed from the firstreactor). Typically, the settling legs are disposed proximate animpeller and/or a tangent of a curvature of the reactor. The settlingleg position is usually chosen such that the slurry that is captured bythe settling legs has had a sufficient residence time within the reactorto produce a polyolefin with desired properties.

Generally, the features used to introduce the first slurry from thefirst polymerization reactor into the second polymerization reactor mayallow for the two reactors (though there may be more than two reactors)to be connected in series, for example, to increase throughput. In someexisting systems, the first slurry may be passed through one of severalsettling legs and a product take-off (PTO) valve into a bypass line. ThePTO valves may fire (open) as a result of exceeding a pressurethreshold, thus allowing the slurry to pass through to the line. In sometraditional systems, the bypass line starts on the second reactor, loopsunder the first reactor's settling legs and PTO valves, and returns tothe second reactor. In this way, a pressure differential supplied by apump disposed in the second reactor may supply the motive force tocirculate some of the second reactor's slurry through the line. As theslurry from the second reactor circulates through the line, itincorporates the first reactor's slurry whenever a PTO valve fires.Oftentimes, in order to facilitate transfer of the transfer slurry intothe second reactor, the first reactor is operated at a higher pressure.Such a pressure differential is typically created using a set point onthe PTO valves higher than the second reactor's pressure. The pressuredifferential may also serve to induce a velocity of slurry through theline, such that the solids of the slurry do not salt out. Thus, thebypass line of existing systems may have a slurry velocity of about 7meters per second and use approximately 10 percent of the total slurryflow in the second reactor.

Settling legs are often employed in traditional systems due to theirability, as their name implies, to allow gravity settling at variouspositions within a reactor, which may result in a slurry with an averagesolids concentration greater than an average solids concentration of thebulk slurry flowing in the reactor. Thus, as is often desirable formultimodal polymer formation using continuous processes, the slurriesthat are withdrawn from settling legs typically attain an average solidsconcentration of greater than 37 percent. However, despite theinternational success of similar continuous processes, with billions ofpounds of ethylene-based polymers being so produced, it is nowrecognized that settling legs currently present difficulties associatedwith the continuous operation and scale-up of polymerization reactors.For example, the imposition of a “batch” technique such as the use ofsettling legs onto a continuous process may affect the throughput of asystem. Each time a settling leg releases slurry (e.g., a PTO valvefires), the flow of the slurry at both the upstream and downstreamportions of the reactor is disturbed, increasing the risk of reactorfouling and/or off-spec product. Further, the settling legs, commonlyknown in the art to be about 6 to 8 inches in diameter, require frequentmaintenance due to the large valves and tight seals necessary for propersystem operation. Indeed, the diameter of typical reactors, commonlyknown in the art to be about 20-about 30 inches, do not afford truecontinuous takeoff techniques using settling legs or cylinders withsimilar dimensions, as they may effectively drain the reactor and do notallow sufficient residence time of the circulating slurry.

Current techniques employing settling legs attempt to attaincontinuous-like behavior of systems by using multiple settling legs,such that the time between each opening of a settling leg (e.g., afiring PTO valve) is minimized. In other words, the more settling legsemployed in a process, the more continuous-like the process may become,at least in theory. However, in practice, it is now recognized that dueto the relatively large dimensions of each settling leg and the largesize of world scale reactors, the number of settling legs requiredquickly begins to exceed the physical space available on a givenreactor. As such, it is now recognized that the utilization of featuresother than settling legs may be desirable for continuous polymerizationprocesses, in particular those employing a plurality of reactors inseries or in parallel, or a combination of both. Such features mayutilize one or more continuous take-offs (CTO's) in a number oftechniques. It is now recognized that CTO devices provide a number ofadvantages over settling legs, including lower valve and flange countsin a reactor system, smaller transfer lines between reactors in series,fewer plugged lines, and simpler piping. Further, the CTO devices mayalso eliminate the need for a bypass line.

A. Reactors in Series Using CTO Devices

Referring now to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a series polymerization system100 employing two polymerization reactors in series using CTO devices isshown. In other embodiments, additional polymerization reactors may beincluded in series or in parallel. During the operation of system 100, afirst reactor 102 produces a slurry that, above certain operatingpressures, is continuously withdrawn through a CTO device 104. In someembodiments, the CTO device 104 may contain a number of valves (e.g., 2)that are configured to modulate the removal and flow of slurry from thefirst reactor 102. The valves may be, as shown in the illustratedembodiment, a “ram”-type valve 106 and a v-ball valve 108. The ram valve106 of the CTO device 104 may or may not have an extension into thefirst reactor 102 and may or may not be angled to enhance solidsremoval, depending upon the placement of the CTO device 104 on thereactor 102 and the desired characteristics of the withdrawn slurry. ACTO device may be referred to as a “solids concentrator” becauseoperation of a CTO device may result in a higher average solidsconcentration of a withdrawn slurry relative to the average solidsconcentration of the slurry circulating in the reactor 102. Further,some CTO devices (solids concentrators), as noted above, may haveextensions into the slurry circulating within the reactor to enhancesolids removal and concentration of solids. Such embodiments of theextension will be described in further detail hereinbelow. In someembodiments, the ram valve 106 may be oriented at an angle between 15 to60 degrees (e.g., 30 to 45 degrees) from perpendicular to the tangent onthe outside radius of an elbow of the first reactor 102 and slanted atthe orientation angle in the direction towards the downstream flow ofthe slurry. The CTO device 104 may direct, using ram valve 106, aportion of the slurry to exit the first reactor 102 as a transferslurry. The CTO device 104 may then control, using the v-ball valve 108,the flow of the transfer slurry through a conduit (e.g., a transferline) 110 fluidly coupling the first reactor 102 with a second reactor112. One end of the transfer line 110 may couple to the second reactor112 via, for example, a ram valve 114 to enable the slurry to enter thesecond reactor 112. In some embodiments, the ram valve 114 (or entrypoint) into the second reactor 112 is on the top side of the loopreactor section or on the inside portion of an elbow of the secondreactor 112 such that solids in the area of the inlet to the secondreactor 112 is minimized. In such a configuration, this may reduceplugging in low flow, no flow or reverse flow situations. In operation,introduction of the transfer slurry from the first reactor 102 into thesecond reactor 112 facilitates production of a second slurry within thesecond reactor 112, which may be continuously withdrawn via a CTO device116 (also containing a ram valve 118 and in some embodiments a v-ballvalve 120) leading to a flash line apparatus 122. During operation, theflash line apparatus 122 may separate a liquid medium of the secondslurry from a polymer product of the second slurry. The liquid mediummay then be recycled and directed back, via recycle line 124, to thefirst reactor 102 or, in some embodiments, to the second reactor 112 foruse in the continuous polymerization process. Additionally,monomer/comonomer, make-up diluent, and catalyst feed lines 126 may feedinto the recycle line 124 leading from the flash line apparatus 122 tothe first reactor 102.

To increase the efficiency of the continuous polymerization process, insome embodiments, the CTO device 104 may be precisely located andoriented to increase the solids concentration of the slurry removed fromthe first reactor 102 and may be referred to as a solids concentrator,as noted above. In certain of these embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, theCTO device 104 may have the ram valve 106 positioned on a curvature ofthe first reactor 102. In some embodiments, the ram valve 106 (and thusthe CTO device 104) may be disposed on the first reactor 102 at adownstream segment of the first reactor. In these instances, it may bedesirable that the CTO device 104 be positioned ahead of a motive device128 which, during operation, serves to circulate and mix the bulk slurrywithin the first reactor 102. Positioning the ram valve 106 in this waymay allow the CTO device 104 to collect slurry from a stratum of thecirculating bulk slurry that has a relatively higher solidsconcentration, substantially without the use of gravity settling. Forexample, in some embodiments, at certain circulation velocities, theslurry may display strata having solids concentrations different fromthe average solids concentration present within the overall firstreactor 102 and/or second reactor 112. In certain of these instances,the strata are a result of the combination of gravity and decreasedslurry velocity. That is, at a lower slurry circulation velocity,heavier portions of the slurry (e.g., solids) may be carried along aportion of the slurry proximate a lower surface of the first reactor 102(and/or the second reactor 112), while lighter portions (i.e., diluentand small particulates) are carried along a portion of the slurry distalfrom the lower surface of the first reactor 102 (and/or the secondreactor 112). However, while the stratification may be at leastpartially a result of gravity, it should be noted that the solids arenot allowed to settle, as with conventional systems incorporating PTO's.Accordingly, the CTO device 104, precisely disposed and oriented andwith the ram valve 106 having an extension into the first reactor 102,may be particularly advantageous in certain embodiments of the operationof system 100 by limiting the amount of materials (e.g., diluent,unreacted monomer and co-monomer) other than the polyolefin product(i.e., solids) present within the withdrawn (transferred) slurry.

In embodiments where the ram valve 106 has an extension into the firstreactor 102, the extension may protrude into the flowing slurryproximate a bottom surface of the first reactor 102. In suchembodiments, the extension may be a protrusion from the ram valve 106,such that as solids within the slurry flow through the reactor 102, theymay contact the protrusion and be collected on the surface of theprotrusion facing the direction of the flow of the slurry. Accordingly,the collected solids may be withdrawn through the ram valve 106, withthe slurry having a higher solids concentration than the average solidsconcentration of the slurry flowing through the reactor 102. Therefore,to the extent that CTO devices having such extensions increase solidsconcentrations in withdrawn slurries, a CTO device having a protrusioninto the slurry circulating within the reactor may also be referred toas a solids concentrator. In some embodiments, the protrusion may be acurved protrusion, such as a scoop, that allows the efficient collectionof solids.

To the extent that the extension and the ram valve 106 allow thewithdrawn slurry to have a higher solids concentration than the averagesolids concentration of the slurry circulating within the first reactor102, the extension (protrusion) and the ram valve 106 may be considereda solids concentrator. Additionally, it should be noted that the secondreactor 112 may also include one or more solids concentrators. Forexample, the ram valve 118 may have an extension or protrusion into theslurry circulating within the second reactor 112. Therefore, it shouldbe noted that while the extension of the ram valve 106 into the firstreactor 102 is presently discussed in the context of the withdrawal ofslurry from the first reactor 102, the embodiments described herein aresubstantially equally applicable to the withdrawal of slurry from thesecond reactor 112. As such, the slurry withdrawn from the secondreactor 112 may have a higher solids concentration than the averagesolids concentration circulating within the second reactor 112 due tothe presence of one or more solids concentrators.

In another embodiment, the ram valve 106 may have an extension in theform of a tube extending into the slurry flowing through the reactor102. In this embodiment, the tube may be curved towards the flow of theslurry circulating through the reactor with an opening for receiving aportion of the slurry. In one embodiment according to this aspect, theextension may be disposed proximate an outer surface (e.g., a bottomsurface) of the reactor 102 and thereby collect solids from a stratumcontaining higher solids content than the average solids content of theoverall slurry circulating through the reactor 102. In certain of theseembodiments, the opening may be oval or scoop-shaped.

Accordingly, in some configurations utilizing an aspect of the currenttechnique, one polymerization reactor may produce a polymer having ahigh molecular weight and a low density and the other polymerizationreactor may produce a polymer having a lower molecular weight and ahigher density. It should be noted that the current technique providesfor either the first reactor 102 or the second reactor 112 to performeither of the above tasks. However, for simplicity, one particularembodiment is described herein. For example, in one embodiment the firstreactor 102 may produce high molecular weight polyethylene by usingrelatively high amounts of liquid-based reagents (e.g., 1-hexene) andlow amounts of hydrogen chain transfer agent. In certain of theseembodiments, the first slurry in the first reactor 102 may haverelatively low levels of ethylene monomer (e.g., about 0.5 to about 5.0wt %, or about 0.5 wt %, or about 1.0 wt %, or about 1.5 wt %, or about3.0 wt %) and relatively high concentrations of 1-hexene (e.g., about 3wt % to about 12 wt %, or about 4 wt %), which may produce a highmolecular weight polymer with a low polymer density. However, it may beequally as desirable to produce a lower molecular weight polymer with ahigh density in the second reactor 112 and substantially limit theamount of 1-hexene present while having high amounts of hydrogen withinthe second reactor 112. For example, the monomer content within thesecond reactor 112 may be between about 3 wt % and about 12 wt % (e.g.,about 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 wt %). Indeed, the CTO device 104 mayserve to substantially limit the amount of 1-hexene transferred to thesecond reactor 112 by withdrawing a slurry with a high solids content(i.e. a low 1-hexene content), thus facilitating the production of alower molecular weight high density polymer in the second reactor 112.Of course, by facilitating the production of polymers with desirablecharacteristics, the overall multimodal process may benefit from the useof CTO devices.

B. CTO-Transfer Line Design

Additionally, the use of ram valve 106 as an exit valve from the firstreactor 102 may provide the advantage of a lower risk of reactorfouling. This may be due to a mode of operation of the ram valve 106,where the entrance to the transfer line 110 may remain open and not plugdue to the “plunging” mechanism of the valve 106 when it periodicallycloses. The ram valve 106, in one embodiment, affords the advantage overother types of valves in that other valves, such as ball valves, allow apart of the line 110 to remain open to the polymerization reactor 102,and would require continual diluent flushing to prevent reactor fouling.In a further embodiment, the ram valve 106 may be automated. During thecourse of operation, if a leak or other negative operating factor isdetected by a sensor (such as a pressure sensor 130 and/or a flow sensor132), the ram valve 106 may be closed by a controller in communicationwith the sensor, such as a distributed control system (DCS) 134, whichin turn may substantially isolate the first reactor 102 from thetransfer line 110 and the second reactor 112. Automation of ram valveswithin the system 100 may also afford other desirable operatingconditions, such as parallel operation by closing both ends of thetransfer line 110, in turn isolating the first reactor 102, transferline 110 and the second reactor 112 from one another. Furtherembodiments and techniques regarding parallel operations are describedbelow.

As discussed above, the transfer line 110 may facilitate transfer of theslurry produced in the first reactor 102 to the second reactor 112through the ram valve 106. To prevent salting out of the solid of thetransfer slurry within the transfer line 110, a minimum velocity may bemaintained such that the velocity is sufficient to suspend the particleswithin the diluent. Accordingly, to prevent potentially plugging thetransfer line 110 and fouling the reactor system 100, the design of aCTO multimodal polymerization system, as represented by the system 100,may allow for a high velocity of transfer slurry flow through thetransfer line 110. In the design of such systems, it may be useful topredetermine the velocity suitable to prevent salting out within thetransfer line 110. Accordingly, in some aspects, the velocity suitableto prevent salting out within the transfer line 110 may be modeled,taking into account solids concentration, particle size, and conduitdimensions, among other parameters, using equations known in the art(e.g., the Durand equation, the Darcy equation, and modificationsthereof).

Indeed, to achieve a desired velocity through the transfer line 110,various design considerations may include the length and diameter of thetransfer line 110 as well as the dimensions (e.g., length and diameter)of each reactor. According to present embodiments, by using CTO devicesto facilitate the flow of slurry through the transfer line 110, longerdistances in between each reactor may be possible compared to othertechniques, such as those utilizing pressure take off valves and/orsettling legs. Indeed, the higher flow rates and greater pressure dropafforded by CTO devices may allow sufficient transfer slurry velocitieseven at transfer line lengths exceeding approximately 100 feet, 200feet, 300 feet, 400 feet or more. It should be noted, however, that theappropriate dimensions of the transfer line 110 may depend on the sizeof each reactor and the horizontal distance between the reactors.

In some embodiments, the overall distance that the transfer slurrytravels in between the first reactor 102 and the second reactor 112 maybe a design consideration when determining a suitable velocity of thetransfer slurry and its relation to the length of the transfer line 110.Further, the length of the transfer line 110 may not necessarily beequal to the horizontal length separating the first reactor 102 and thesecond reactor 112. To span a horizontal length of, for example, 100feet, the transfer line 110 may have approximately 220 feet, 440 feet ormore of line length, which accounts for elbows, bends, loops,curvatures, and so forth of the transfer line 110. In other words, fluidflowing through the transfer line 110 would travel a distance ofapproximately 220 feet, 440 feet or more through piping in order to passbetween the reactors 102, 112, which may be spaced 100 feet apart.

The actual line length (e.g., the 240 feet, 440 feet or more) may bereferred to as the “equivalent line length” of the horizontal distancebetween the reactors (e.g., 100 feet). Likewise, the first reactor 102and second reactor 112 also have equivalent line lengths. That is, fluidflowing through the reactors 102, 112 may travel a greater distance thanthe mere distance between the inlet and outlet of each reactor. Forexample, the first reactor 102 and second reactor 112 may haveequivalent line lengths of at least approximately 200 feet.Specifically, as an example, the equivalent line length of each reactor102, 112 may be approximately 880 feet or more. Therefore, it may bepossible to represent the ratio of equivalent line length of thetransfer line 110 to the equivalent line lengths of the first reactor102 and/or second reactor 112 in determining, for example, appropriatetransfer slurry velocity. In configurations where the equivalent lengthof the first reactor 102 and/or second reactor 112 are approximately 880feet with 100 feet of horizontal distance therebetween, the equivalentlength of the transfer line 110 would be approximately 220 feet at aratio of approximately 25% or approximately 440 feet at a ratio ofapproximately 50%. Indeed, such ratios may be appropriate when using CTOdevices to facilitate slurry transfer, while other configurations, suchas those utilizing PTO valves, may be unable to provide a sufficientslurry velocity at such ratios, which may result in solids saltation orother undesirable flow characteristics.

In addition to length, the diameter of the transfer line 110 is a designconsideration for suitable transfer slurry velocities. While a widearray of diameters may be suitable for the transfer line 110, in ageneral sense, the diameter of the transfer line 110 may be lower thanthe diameter of a settling leg (i.e., less than 8 inches). The transferline 110 may be designed to display a diameter in the range of about 1to about 4 inches, which may result in design velocities ranging fromabout 4 ft/sec to about 30 ft/sec, depending uponimplementation-specific needs. For example, the transfer line may bedesigned in to have a diameter of exactly or about 1, 2, 3, or 4 inches,or any diameter therebetween. Indeed, in some embodiments, the transferline 110 may be equal to or less than about 3 inches such that largersize valves (above about six inches), which require more maintenance,may be avoided. Further, it may be appreciated that by using a line witha relatively small diameter, operational hazards, such as line breaks,may pose less danger than existing techniques employing lines withgreater diameters.

It may be calculated that the transfer line 110 should be designed to aminimum velocity, for a solids concentration of about 50%, of betweenabout 4 ft/sec for a low-density, high molecular weight polyethyleneresin. Thus, in embodiments where a CTO device is employed (such as theCTO device 104), which may consistently attain solids concentrations inthis range, the transfer line 110 may be designed for approximately 20to 30 ft/sec (e.g., about 28 ft/sec) velocity. In other embodiments, forexample, at a lower solids concentration within a 2-inch transfer line(an example of a diameter of a transfer line in accordance with thepresent embodiments), 19000 lb/hr of isobutane diluent, or a velocity of8.7 ft/sec as calculated, may be the velocity required to prevent thesolids of the slurry from salting out under reactor conditions.Accordingly, the transfer line may have a design velocity rangingbetween 4 ft/sec and 30 ft/sec (e.g., between 5 ft/sec and 28 ft/sec,about 8 ft/sec and 25 ft/sec, 10 ft/sec and 20 ft/sec, 13 ft/sec and 18ft/sec). As may be appreciated, a design directed to allowing for agiven velocity of slurry flow through the transfer line 110 may includefeatures to modulate the flow of slurry from the first reactor 102 tothe second reactor 112. Such features may include the v-ball valve 108of the CTO device 104.

C. Pressure Control Using CTO Devices

In some aspects of the operation of the continuous system 100, thepressure differential between the reactors may be crucial to theperformance the continuous system 100 and the resultant properties ofthe polyolefin product. Therefore, it may be desirable to includefeatures within the transfer line 110 connecting the reactors in seriesto control the pressure of the first reactor 102. This may be, incertain embodiments, at least partially performed by the v-ball valve108 of the CTO device 104 within the transfer line 110. For example, bycontrolling the flow rate of the first slurry through the transfer line110, the v-ball valve 108 may essentially control the pressure of thefirst reactor 102. In some aspects, by opening the v-ball valve 108, thepressure within the first reactor 102 may decrease by allowing a greaterflow of slurry to exit the first reactor 102. In such an embodiment, thereverse operation may serve to increase the pressure within the firstreactor 102. The pressure sensor 130 and flow sensor 132 disposed alongthe length of the transfer line 110 may respectively monitor thepressure and flow rate of the slurry passing through the transfer line110. The sensors 130 and 132 may relay the flow and pressure informationto the DCS 134, which may automatically adjust the v-ball valve 108 sothat the pressure and flow are within a desired operating range.

In addition to at least partially controlling the flow of slurry throughtransfer line 110, adjustment of the v-ball valve 108 may also at leastpartially control the flow rate of slurry entering the second reactor112. In some embodiments, this may at least partially control otheraspects, such as the pressure of the second reactor 112. That is, thev-ball valve 108, when correctly modulated, may at least partiallyincrease or decrease the flow of slurry entering into the second reactor112, and, thus, at least partially control pressure in the secondreactor 112. Accordingly, the v-ball valve 108 may at least partiallyregulate the flow of slurry into, and thus the pressure of, the secondreactor 112. In some embodiments, the adjustment by the v-ball valve 108may be able to control the slurry velocity within a small range, forexample, to within 0.5 ft/sec. Conversely, in certain of theseembodiments, the ram valve 106 on the first reactor 102 may altogetherstart or stop the flow of slurry exiting the first reactor 102. It maybe appreciated that, in instances where the pressure of the secondreactor 112 is controlled by the v-ball valve 108, that the ram valve114 leading into the second reactor 112 may be continuously open.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an embodiment is shown where the v-ball valve108 is excluded, which may allow a continuous flow between the firstreactor 102 and the second reactor 112 through transfer line 110. Insuch embodiments, pressure within the first reactor 102 may be at leastpartially controlled by fluidly connecting the first reactor 102 and thesecond reactor 112 in a continuous state. For example, during the courseof operation when the ram valve 106 on the first reactor 102 and the ramvalve 114 on the second reactor 112 are fully open, the first reactor102 may float on the pressure of the second reactor 112. That is, ahigher pressure level in the first reactor 102 than in the secondreactor 112 will cause the slurry produced in the first reactor 102 toflow through the transfer line 110 to the second reactor 112. In suchembodiments, controlling the pressure of the second reactor 112 withoutlet valves (e.g., using the CTO device 116) may maintain the pressureof the second reactor 112 at a substantially fixed level. By extension,the pressure of the first reactor 102 may be at least partiallycontrolled by the flow of slurry exiting the second reactor 112. Indeed,it should be noted that in some embodiments, the pressure of the firstreactor 102 and the second reactor 112 (and thus the flow rate oftransfer slurry through the transfer line 110) may be controlled usingonly the continuous take-off device 116 that is disposed on the secondreactor 112 along with the influx of polymerization components into thefirst reactor 102 (e.g., monomer, comonomer, diluent, and so forth).Accordingly, in a similar manner to the ram valve 106 being continuouslyopened, the continuous take-off device 104 disposed on the first reactor102 may be excluded altogether.

In some embodiments, it may be desirable to calculate the slurryvelocity necessary to prevent salting out within the first reactor 102and the second reactor 112. Skilled artisans will recognize that someimportant parameters to consider may include the slurry viscosity (whichmay be calculated, for example, using a Gay-Nelson-Armstrong equation),the Reynolds number of the slurry, the surface roughness of the solidswithin the slurry, and the diameter of the pipe of the loop reactor.Additionally, the friction factor of the slurry may be calculated usinga Colebrook equation. The circulation rate of the slurry may be furtheradjusted to account for a pressure drop, such as a pressure dropcalculated including the Darcy and/or Durand equations. The rate may bematched to a specification of a motive device, such as a motive device136 (e.g., a pump curve). In certain embodiments, it will also beimportant to maintain flow in continuous take off appendages from thereactors 102, 112. This can be accomplished by maintaining a minimumvelocity in the transfer line 110 to prevent plugging and/or saltationof the solids. This velocity might be calculated using methods known inthe art, as mentioned above.

In the illustrated embodiment in FIG. 3, the ram valve 114 is disposedat an upstream segment of the second reactor 112 proximate and beforethe motive device 136, which includes an impeller 138 and a motor 140.Such a configuration may allow the pressure within the first reactor 102to be reduced. For example, such a location may reduce the overallpressure in the first reactor 102 as line 110 discharges into the lowestpressure point in the second reactor 112. This location may also providefor dispersion of the concentrated transfer slurry coming from line 110by the turbulence and mixing action of the pump impeller 138.Additionally, the ram valve 114 may be located on the top side or insideradius of an elbow of the second reactor 112 to reduce pluggingtendencies during low, no flow, or reverse flow situations. Inoperation, the embodiment as illustrated would thus allow continuousflow of slurry from the first reactor 102, through the transfer line110, and to the second reactor 112. In such an embodiment, the CTOdevice 116 disposed on a downstream segment of the second reactor 112would be the primary feature responsible for allowing slurry to exit theoverall system 100. Conversely, the feed 126 into the first reactor 102would be the primary feature responsible for allowing materials to enterthe system 100. As may be appreciated, the juxtaposition of these twofeatures may allow for the control of the pressures of the first reactor102 and the second reactor 112. Of course, there will be a pressuregradient present between the two reactors, such that the pressure withinthe first reactor 102 is higher than the pressure within the secondreactor 112, effectively supplying the motive force for the transferslurry to flow from the first reactor 102 to the second reactor 112.

Thus, as feed 126 comes into the first reactor 102, pressure mayincrease within the first reactor 102 until its pressure is sufficientto flow an equal volume of slurry to the second reactor 112 (if thereactors are substantially the same size or similar in size). Indeed, ifthe feed rate increases, the first reactor 102 pressure may increase, ifthe feed rate decreases, the first reactor 102 pressure may decrease. Insuch embodiments, the flow rates through the transfer line 110 are thussubstantially controlled by the pressure differential between thereactors (e.g., the first reactor 102 and the second reactor 112) inseries. Additionally, as noted above, the size ratio of one reactor tothe other may at least partially affect the pressure differential, theamount of transfer slurry flowing through the transfer line 110, and/orthe amount of slurry withdrawn from each or both reactors 102, 112. Insome embodiments, the reactors may be substantially the same size (i.e.,substantially equal volumes) or similar in size (i.e., similar volumes)to address issues with large pressure differentials, slurry volumedifferentials, and so forth. In accordance with present embodiments, thereactors 102, 112 may be referred to as being similar in size if theirvolumes differ by no more than approximately 20% or by no more thanapproximately 10%.

D. Multiple Transfer Lines

The system 100 may also have features in place such that a pluggedtransfer line will not substantially affect the throughput of thereactors in series. As embodied in FIG. 2, it may be desirable to havemore than one transfer line (e.g., between 2 and 5 transfer lines,inclusive) disposed on each reactor. Such features may include anadditional CTO device 142 including a ram valve 144 and a v-ball valve146 configured to withdraw slurry from the first reactor 102 andtransfer the slurry, via an additional transfer line 148, to the secondreactor 112. As with the primary transfer line 110, the additionaltransfer line 148 may couple to the second reactor using a ram valve150. For example, in situations where a transfer line becomes plugged,such as the transfer line 110, the pressure sensor 130 disposed alongthe length of the transfer line 110 may relay certain data indicative ofa plug to the controller 134. The controller 134 may signal a valve,such as the v-ball valve 108 and/or the ram valve 106 (the combinationbeing the CTO device 104) to close, and nearly simultaneously open theram valve 144 and/or the v-ball valve 146 (the combination being theadditional CTO device 142) that lead to the transfer line 148. The CTOdevices 104 and 142 may be disposed along different take-off positionson the reactor 102 such that certain characteristics of the withdrawnslurry (e.g., slurry velocity, stratified solids content) aresubstantially the same. In some embodiments, the ram valves 106 and 144of the CTO devices 104 and 142, respectively, may be disposed on thefirst reactor 102 at points on the reactor elbows such that the slurryexperiences stratification as a result of a localized increased slurryvelocity. Indeed, in some embodiments, the ram valves 106 and 144 of theCTO devices 104 and 142 may be configured to withdraw slurry from aboutthe same area on the first reactor 102. Similarly, transfer lines 110and 148 may be configured to deliver the transfer slurry to the secondreactor 112 at about the same position. In other embodiments, transferlines 110 and 148 may be configured to deliver slurry from the firstreactor 102 to the second reactor 112 at different positions. In certainaspects, it may be desirable for each transfer line to deliver slurryfrom the first reactor 102 to the second reactor 112 such that theslurry from the first reactor 102 entering into the second reactor 112experiences a strong motive force upon entering the second reactor 112.As such, the point at which the transfer lines 110 and 148 fluidlycouple with the second reactor 106 may be disposed proximate the motivedevice 136 and proximate an inside radius of a curvature of the secondreactor 112. Of course, transfer lines 110 and 148 may share or havesimilar valving and control systems such that the controller 134 maysubstantially automate the entire process of switching between transferlines and controlling the flow through each line. It may be appreciatedthat in some embodiments, the transfer lines 110 and 148 may operatesimultaneously or approximately simultaneously. That is, in someembodiments, valves within the transfer line 110 and the transfer line148 may be open such that the slurry produced by the first reactor 102is continuously withdrawn and flows through transfer lines 110 and 148and into the second reactor 112. In some embodiments, for example duringa startup procedure of the reactor system 100, controller 134 will actto maintain the minimum velocity in the transfer lines 110 and 148 byinitially opening one of the lines, rather than both, to avoid low linevelocities and saltation of solids during times of low feed rates. Inembodiments where production rate and reactor feed increasesufficiently, the controller 134 will open the second transfer line (theone that is not opened in the startup procedure mentioned above) toavoid exceeding a pressure threshold of the first reactor 102.

E. Line Servicing

Referring now to FIG. 4, an illustration of a piping diagram of system160, which is a modification of system 100, is shown. System 160includes features for independently servicing transfer lines and/oroperating the first reactor 102 and the second reactor 112 independentlyof one another. It may be appreciated that the modified system 160 mayinclude many of the features described with respect to system 100. Asmany of the embodied features of system 100 accord with the presenttechnique, those features are presently identified using the samereference numerals. In the event that one or more transfer lines betweenreactors in series experience a plug, the polymerization system 160provides features that not only facilitate switching between transferlines, but also facilitate servicing each line independently. Asillustrated, the features for independently servicing a transfer line,such as transfer line 110, may include a diluent supply line 162 that isable to flush the transfer line 110, as well as a primary line 164. Itshould be noted that in the illustrated embodiment, the primary line 164may lead to the transfer line 110 or a line 168 that leads to theflashline apparatus 122. In these embodiments, a diverter valve 166 maybe configured to divert the slurry withdrawn from the first reactor 102to the second reactor 112 or the flashline apparatus 122. The diluentsupply line 162 may include features that enable the diluent (e.g.,isobutane, propane, supercritical propane) to flow at a rate that issufficient to flush remaining polymer particles out of the lines 110 and164. Such features may include a diluent supply pump 170 that suppliesmultiple diluent flushes. One such flush is controlled by control valve172 that controls diluent flow through a flush line 174 leading to theprimary line 164. The diluent flush line 162 may also have a controlvalve 176 for controlling diluent flow through a flush line 178 thatleads to the transfer line 110. Control valves 172 and 176 may beconfigured to close off their respective flush lines. The features forindependently servicing the transfer lines may also include a drainvalve 182 disposed along the length of the transfer line 110, the drainvalve 182 leading to a drain line 184 that delivers the flushedcomponents (e.g. clogged polymer, diluent) to a tank that can handlesolids, for example, a knockout tank 186. Of course, the transfer line110 should, as shown with respect to FIG. 2, have pressure and flowmonitors 128 and 132, such that the process may be configured to beoperated manually or automated by the DCS 134.

During operation, if the transfer line 110 should become plugged, theram valve 114 may be closed and the diverter valve 166 may close theopening to the transfer line 110 such that the transfer line 110 isisolated from both reactors. In certain of these instances, the slurrymay be drained from the transfer line 110 by opening drain valve 182 andallowing the contents within the transfer line 110 to flow through drainline 184 and to the knockout tank 186. The diluent flush line 162 mayallow diluent, such as isobutane, to be controlled by valve 176 throughflush line 178 and to the transfer line 110 so that the diluent flushesthe transfer line 110 free of remaining polymer particles and the like.The drain valve 182 and the drain line 184 may also facilitate drainingthe contents of the first reactor 102 to the knock out tank 186. Itshould be noted that the operation of draining slurry and so forth tothe knock out tank 186 may include flushing the reactor 102 and primaryline 164 contents using a diluent (e.g., isobutane) from the diluentsupply line 162 to force out any remaining polymer particles.Specifically, the diluent supply line 162 may receive diluent from adiluent source (e.g., a diluent tank), and the pump 170 may supply themotive force to flush the diluent through flush line 174 and thus, theprimary line 164. The diverter valve 166, in this embodiment, shoulddivert the flushed contents through the transfer line 110, through drainvalve 182 and drain line 184, to the knockout tank 186. Of course, thediluent supply lines 174 and 178 may serve as flush points to variouslines exiting the first reactor 102. It should be appreciated that thetotal number of lines exiting the first reactor 102 may be equaled orexceeded by the total number of flush lines. As mentioned, sensors 130and 132 may communicate pressure and flow information, respectively, tothe DCS feature 134, allowing an operator to ascertain various aspectsof the transfer line 110, such as the integrity of the line and futureoperability.

It should be noted that the second reactor 112 may have similar featureswith regard to flushing a line 188 that exits the second reactor 112(and thus flushes the contents of the second reactor 112). That is, theCTO device 116 may continuously withdraw slurry into the line 188, whichmay be serviced using features including a diluent supply line 190. Thediluent supply line 190 may include similar features to the diluentsupply line 162 described with respect to the first reactor 102 and thetransfer line 110 including a control valve 192, and a flush line 194.Again, the number of lines exiting the second reactor 112 may be equaledor exceeded by the number of flush lines from the diluent supply line190. A shutoff valve 196 may be configured to force the diluent from thediluent supply line 190 to go through the second reactor 112 (therebyflushing the second reactor 112) and out through a different CTO device,such as a CTO device 198. In some embodiments, the CTO device 198 maylead to a second flashline apparatus 200 for product and diluentrecovery.

F. Series and Parallel Operation

Further illustrated in FIG. 4 are features that may allow the system 160to be reliably switched back to single reactor operation (both reactorsoperating independently). Indeed, the system 160 may be configured suchthat at an operator's discretion and/or in the event of a transfer lineplug, the first reactor 102 and the second reactor 112 may be operatedin parallel (i.e., not in series). In such embodiments, the slurrywithdrawn by the CTO device 104 into the primary line 164 exiting thefirst reactor 102 may be diverted to line 168, and thus the flashlineapparatus 122, by diverter valve 166. As mentioned with respect tosystem 100 (FIG. 2), the second reactor 112 may have a CTO device 116that enables the second slurry to be continuously withdrawn to the line188 that leads to the flashline apparatus 122. To keep line 168 carryingthe slurry produced in the first reactor 102 separate from the line 188carrying the slurry produced in the second reactor 112, the system 160may have a diverter valve 202 that is configured to selectively alloweither line to enter the flashline apparatus 122.

During parallel operation, in some embodiments, the pressure of thefirst reactor 102 may be substantially controlled via the CTO device 104within the primary line 164 and/or with other valves disposed within theline 168 leading to the flashline 122 by controlling the flow of slurryexiting the first reactor 102. In some embodiments, the feed into thefirst reactor 102 may also play a role in controlling the pressure ofthe first reactor 102. In certain of these embodiments, the polymerproduct from the first reactor 102 may be continuously collected and thediluent of the slurry continuously recycled back to the first reactor102. The line 168 leading to the flash line apparatus 122 may havefeatures that are able to control the flow of slurry to the flash lineapparatus 122, including, for example, a diaphragm valve 204 and/or av-ball valve 206. Other possible features may include a diluent flushline 208 with a one-way valve 210, which may be utilized to flush theline 168 with diluent should the line 168 become clogged and/or ifmaintenance is required. It should be appreciated that the diaphragmvalve 204 and the ball valve 206 may be disposed on either side of thearea where the diluent flush line 208 meets the line 168, allowingeither side of the line 168 to be selectively flushed. The line 168 fromthe first reactor 102 may also have a shared control/shared display unit212, such that the process of transferal of the slurry and flushing ofthe line 168 may be at least partially controlled at one location.

In addition to the lines from the first reactor 102, the CTO device 116disposed on the downstream portion of the second reactor 112 may lead tothe flash line apparatus 122. Indeed, the line 188 leading away from thesecond reactor 112 via the CTO 116 may include features similar to thoseleading away from the first reactor 102. For example, the slurry exitingthe second reactor 112 may flow through line 188. The flow rate of theslurry exiting the second reactor 112 may be at least partiallycontrolled by the ram valve 118, the v-ball valve 120, or both, of CTOdevice 116. A diaphragm valve 214, may also at least partially controlthe flow of slurry through the line 188. The slurry may be directed tothe diverter valve 202, which may direct the flow of the second slurryto the flash line apparatus 122. As with line 168, a sharedcontroller/display 216 may allow an operator to at least partiallycontrol the continuous slurry removal, line servicing and flushingprocesses associated with the second reactor 106 at one location.

In some aspects, the controllers 134, 202 and 216 may be incommunication with one another. In such aspects, the controllers mayreliably switch the system 160 between parallel and series operation.For example, if parallel operation is desired, controller 134 mayoperate the diverter valves 166 and 202 to direct the slurry exiting thefirst reactor 102 to the line 168 leading to the flash line apparatus122. In a nearly simultaneous fashion, the ram valve 114 may be closed,isolating the transfer line 110. The diluent supply line 162 may beginto flush the transfer line 110 according to the process described above,eventually draining the contents of the transfer line 110 into theknockout tank 186. The controller 212 may, in response, begin to controlthe flow of slurry through the line 168 using valves 204 and 206,thereby changing the operating pressures, slurry flow rates, and similarfactors within line 168 to suit any number of new parameters that mayresult from the change to parallel operation. Similarly, controller 216may then perform operations including directing the diaphragm valve 214to control the flow of the second slurry through line 188. The divertervalve 202 may be controlled by either or both of the controllers 212 and216, such that the first and second slurries from lines 168 and 188,respectively, do not mix. In some embodiments, for example duringparallel operation, the flow of slurry from the second reactor 112 mayflow from the CTO device 198, line 188 or a secondary CTO device 218, tothe second flashline apparatus 200 to recover polymer from reactor 112separate from the polymer from the first reactor 102 and the flashlineapparatus 122. Conversely, if during parallel operation series operationis desired, the controller 134 may switch the diverter valve 166 todirect the flow of the first slurry from the first reactor 102 toprimary line 164, and then to transfer line 110, while substantiallysimultaneously closing drain valve 182. It should be noted that thetransfer line 110 may be filled with diluent before slurry is directedto the transfer line 110, such that the second reactor does notexperience a pressure drop when ram valve 114 is opened by controller134. The controller 212 may then direct the diluent flush line 208 toflush line 168, and the controller 216 may change the operatingconditions of the diaphragm valve 214. As before, the controller 212 orthe controller 216 may direct the diverter valve 202 to allow the slurryflowing from line 188 to flow to the flashline apparatus 122.

G. Flashline and Diluent Recycle

According to the present technique, the systems 100 and 160 both utilizea flashline apparatus 122 for product isolation and diluent recycle.FIG. 5 depicts a typical flashline apparatus 122 embodying suchfeatures. The flashline apparatus may include features for isolating thepolymer product from the continuously withdrawn product slurry from thesecond reactor 112 (in the case of series operation) or the firstreactor 102 and the second reactor 112 in the case of paralleloperation. Regardless of the mode of operation, the slurry, either fromthe first reactor 102 or second reactor 112, must pass through a commonconduit 220 into a high pressure flash chamber 222. Conduit 220 includesa surrounding conduit 224 which is provided with a heated fluid whichprovides indirect heating to the slurry material in flash line conduit220. Vaporized diluent exits the flash chamber 222 via conduit 226 forfurther processing, which may include condensation by simple heatexchange using recycle condenser 228. The diluent then returns to thesystem 100 (e.g., to an area proximate motive device 128 within thefirst reactor 102), without the necessity for compression, via line 124and recycle liquid pump 230. Recycle condenser 228 can utilize anysuitable heat exchange fluid known in the art under any conditions knownin the art. In some embodiments, a fluid at a temperature that can beeconomically provided may be used. A suitable temperature range for thisfluid is 40° F. to 130° F. Polymer particles are withdrawn from highpressure flash chamber 222 via line 232 for further processing usingtechniques known in the art. In some aspects, they are passed to lowpressure flash chamber 234 and thereafter recovered as polymer productvia line 236. Separated diluent passes through compressor 238 to line226. In some embodiments, the continuous take-offs utilized by a systememploying reactors in series (such as system 100) not only allows forhigher solids concentration upstream in the first reactor 102, but alsoallows better operation of the high pressure flash, thus allowing themajority of the withdrawn diluent to be flashed off and recycled with nocompression. Indeed, 50 to 99 percent (e.g., 70 to 92 percent) of thediluent may generally be recovered in this manner.

H. Multiple-Reactor System Operation

In accordance with the embodiments thus described, a block flow diagramof a method 300 of operating a dual reactor polymerization system, forexample system 100, is depicted in FIG. 6. Additionally, it should benoted that the present method may be applicable to multiple reactors inseries (i.e., more than two) and that the present embodiments aredirected to the operation of two reactors to facilitate discussion. Asdepicted and described in FIG. 1, in a general sense, a feed system 16may feed into the reactor system 20. As shown in FIG. 6, however, it maybe necessary to determine the desired operating conditions 302, such as,for example, to determine whether the system will be operated in seriesor in parallel. In the case of series operation, the overall process mayinclude a step 304 of feed to and polymerization within the firstreactor 102. In the case of parallel operation, in addition to step 304,another step 306 of feed to and polymerization within the secondpolymerization reactor 112 may be performed. In both operationalembodiments, the first reactor 102 and the second reactor 112 polymerizetheir respective monomers to form slurries, and may have steps 308 and310, respectively, of controlling the rate at which their respectiveslurries are continuously withdrawn. These steps may include usingfeatures such as CTO 104 disposed on the first reactor 102 to controlthe flow of the first slurry 312 and CTO 116 disposed on the secondreactor 112 to control the flow of the second slurry 314.

Referring to the process flow according to the first polymerizationreactor 102, the first slurry 312 may be continuously withdrawn from thefirst polymerization reactor 102 into a conduit, such as, for example,the transfer line 110 or the primary line 164 described in FIG. 4. Itshould be appreciated that the flow of the first slurry 312 through thetransfer line 110 or the primary line 164 may be continuously monitored,according to block 316. As mentioned, a major advantage of operating adual reactor polymerization system according to the present technique isthat the system may be switched between series and parallel operationusing the features of steps 308 and 310 and the features described inFIG. 4. Thus, according to an intra-operative determination 318 ofseries or parallel operation (e.g., if an operator decides to switch themode of operation), or if a leak or other negative operating factor isdetected, the flow of the first slurry 312 may be directed to a numberof different pathways. For example, if parallel operation is desired,the flow of the first slurry 312 may be directed, as indicated by step320, to a flashline (e.g., the flashline 122). In another embodiment, ifa leak or other negative operating condition is detected, the firstslurry 312 may be directed, according to step 322, to a knockout tank,such as the knockout tank 186 described in FIG. 4. Conversely, if seriesoperation is being performed, the first slurry 312 as indicated by block324, may continue through the transfer line 110 to the second reactor112.

It should be appreciated that during parallel operation, the feed andpolymerize step 306 may occur substantially simultaneously to step 304,where feed is delivered to and polymerization occurs within the firstreactor 102. However, during series operation, the step 306 may followstep 324. That is, the first slurry 312 may be directed to the secondreactor 112 according to step 324, followed by introduction of feed intoand polymerization of a monomer within the second reactor 112, accordingto step 306. At this point, the second polymerization reactor 112 maybegin to incorporate a new polyolefin into the first slurry 312, formingthe second slurry 314. However, it should be appreciated that in thecourse of parallel operation, the second slurry 314 may not incorporatethe first slurry 312.

As mentioned, the process according to the second reactor 112 mayinclude the step 310 for controlling the flow of the second slurry 314exiting the reactor 112. In certain embodiments, such as those describedwith respect to FIG. 3, step 310 may also direct features, such as theCTO 116 disposed on the second reactor 112, to modulate the flow of thefirst slurry 312 exiting the first reactor 102 and/or flowing throughthe transfer line 110. Nevertheless, the flow of the second slurry 314,which may or may not include the first slurry 312 (depending on the modeof operation), may be directed, according to the aforementioned step320, to the flashline apparatus 122. For example, during paralleloperation, the flashline apparatus 122 will receive the first slurry 312independently of the second slurry 314. During series operation, thesecond slurry 314 may incorporate the first slurry 312.

The flashline apparatus 122, as described in FIG. 5, may separate, in astep 326, a liquid medium 328 from a polymer product 330 of the slurryor slurries that have been directed to the flashline apparatus 122. Ofcourse, the liquid medium may be recycled, according to step 332, to thereactor system, such as, for example, system 100. The solid polymerproduct 330 may be directed, according to step 334, to anextrusion/loadout area for further processing, such as theextrusion/loadout 36 described in FIG. 1. The flashline apparatus 122,to accord with the present technique, may also include features todirect the liquid medium 328 to the first reactor 102, or the secondreactor 112, or both. As such, a final determination of series orparallel operation may be made, according to step 336, to determinewhere the liquid medium 328 may be directed. In the case of paralleloperation, the liquid medium 328 may be directed to the first reactor102, according to step 338, as well as to the second reactor 112,according to step 340. In a series configuration, the liquid medium maybe directed to the first reactor 102, rather than both reactors, and assuch may consist of performing step 338 rather than steps 338 and 340.

While the present disclosure may be susceptible to various modificationsand alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way ofexample in the drawings and tables and have been described in detailherein. However, it should be understood that the embodiments are notintended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, thedisclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by thefollowing appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A polymerization reactor system, comprising: adischarge line coupled to an outlet of a first polymerization reactor; afirst conduit connecting the first polymerization reactor to a secondpolymerization reactor via the discharge line; a second conduitconnecting the first polymerization reactor to a flashline apparatus viathe discharge line; a diluent supply path that diverges into a firstflush path and a second flush path, wherein the first flush path isconfigured to controllably flow a diluent into the discharge line andwherein the second flush path is configured to controllably flow thediluent into the first conduit; a withdrawal conduit disposed along thefirst conduit and comprising a drain valve, wherein the withdrawalconduit and the drain valve are arranged such that when the drain valveis in an open state, contents of the first conduit are able to beflushed into the withdrawal conduit using the diluent from at least thesecond flush path; and a diverter valve coupling the first and secondconduits to the discharge line, wherein the diverter valve is configuredto selectively open the discharge line to the first conduit and closethe discharge line to the second conduit in a first valve state, and isconfigured to selectively open the discharge line to the second conduitand close the discharge line to the first conduit in a second valvestate, wherein the diverter valve is capable of switching between thefirst and second valve states.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein thefirst valve state is configured to place the first and secondpolymerization reactors in a series configuration.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the second valve state is configured to enable one orboth of the first and second polymerization reactors to operateindependently.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the discharge line ofthe first polymerization reactor comprises a continuous take-off deviceconfigured to continuously discharge a first slurry comprising particlesof a first polymer in the diluent.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein thesecond conduit connecting the first polymerization reactor to theflashline apparatus via the discharge line is configured to flow thefirst slurry to the flashline apparatus.
 6. The system of claim 5,comprising an additional continuous take-off device coupled to thesecond polymerization reactor and configured to continuously discharge asecond slurry comprising particles of a second polymer in the diluent;and a third conduit fluidly coupling the additional continuous take-offdevice to the flashline apparatus via an additional diverter valve, andthe additional diverter valve is configured to selectively enable onlyone of the first slurry or the second slurry to flow to the flashlineapparatus.
 7. The system of claim 5, comprising an additional continuoustake-off device coupled to the second polymerization reactor andconfigured to continuously discharge a second slurry comprisingparticles of a second polymer in the diluent; and a third conduitfluidly coupling the additional continuous take-off device to anadditional flashline apparatus.
 8. The system of claim 7, comprising aplurality of conduits fluidly coupled to respective outlets of thesecond polymerization reactor, and each conduit of the plurality ofconduits is configured to continuously discharge the second slurry, andthe plurality of conduits lead to the flashline apparatus, theadditional flashline apparatus, or a combination thereof.
 9. Apolymerization reactor system, comprising: a first polymerizationreactor configured to receive a feed comprising a diluent and a firstmonomer from a reactor feed system, and configured to polymerize thefirst monomer to produce a first polymer in a first slurry; a transferline coupled to the first polymerization reactor and configured to flowa transfer slurry comprising the first polymer and the diluentcontinuously from the first polymerization reactor; a secondpolymerization reactor configured to receive the transfer slurry fromthe transfer line and to polymerize a second monomer to form a secondpolymer in a second slurry; one or more continuous take-off devicesdisposed on the second polymerization reactor and configured todischarge a discharge slurry comprising the second polymer and thediluent continuously from the second polymerization reactor such that apressure in the first polymerization reactor and a pressure in thesecond polymerization reactor are modulated using only continuoustake-off of the discharge slurry from the second polymerization reactoralong with the feed into the first polymerization reactor.
 10. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein during operation, the first polymerizationreactor and the transfer line are substantially free of gravitysettling.
 11. The system of claim 9, comprising a continuous take-offdevice configured to discharge the transfer slurry from the firstpolymerization reactor such that the transfer slurry has a higheraverage solids concentration than the first slurry.
 12. The system ofclaim 9, comprising an inlet valve coupling the transfer line to thesecond polymerization reactor, wherein the inlet valve consistsessentially of a ram valve.
 13. The system of claim 9, wherein the firstand second monomers are the same.
 14. A polymerization reactor system,comprising: a first polymerization reactor; a second polymerizationreactor; a transfer conduit configured to flow a transfer slurrycomprising particles of a first polymer in a first diluent from thefirst polymerization reactor to the second polymerization reactor; aninlet valve coupling the transfer conduit to the second polymerizationreactor; a withdrawal conduit disposed along the transfer conduit andcomprising a drain valve configured to enable the transfer slurry toflow from the transfer conduit through the withdrawal conduit; a firstflush conduit disposed along the transfer conduit and comprising a firstdiluent control valve configured to at least partially control a flow ofa second diluent into the transfer conduit; wherein the inlet valve, thedrain valve, and the first diluent control valve are configured tocoordinate valve states to direct the second diluent through thetransfer conduit and into the withdrawal conduit to flush the transferslurry from the transfer conduit.
 15. The system of claim 14,comprising: a discharge conduit coupled to an outlet of the firstpolymerization reactor and fluidly coupling the first polymerizationreactor to the transfer conduit; and a second flush conduitcommunicatively coupled with the discharge conduit and comprising asecond diluent control valve configured to at least partially control aflow of the second diluent into the discharge conduit; wherein the inletvalve, the drain valve, and the first and second diluent control valvesare configured to coordinate valve states to direct the second diluentthrough the discharge and transfer conduits and into the withdrawalconduit to flush the transfer slurry from the discharge and transferconduits.
 16. The system of claim 15, comprising a diluent supplyconduit and a diluent supply pump disposed along the diluent supplyconduit, wherein the diluent supply conduit diverges into the firstflush conduit and the second flush conduit such that the diluent supplypump is capable of motivating the second diluent through the dischargeand transfer conduits, and wherein the first and second diluents haveidentical compositions.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein thedischarge line comprises a continuous take-off device configured tocontinuously discharge the transfer slurry, wherein the continuoustake-off device and the inlet valve isolate the discharge and transferconduits from the first and second polymerization reactors when closed.18. The system of claim 17, comprising a flow sensor, a pressure sensor,or a combination thereof, disposed along the transfer conduit andconfigured to enable a control system to monitor a flow rate or apressure, respectively, of the transfer slurry, and the control systemis configured to adjust a flow rate of the transfer slurry through thedischarge and transfer conduits in response to flow rate or pressurefeedback obtained from the flow and pressure sensors, wherein thecontrol system is configured to isolate the transfer and dischargeconduits from the first and second polymerization reactors in responseto flow or pressure feedback indicative of a plug in the transferconduit.
 19. The system of claim 15, comprising: an additional transferconduit configured to flow the transfer slurry from the firstpolymerization reactor to a flashline apparatus; and a diverter valveconfigured to selectively open the discharge conduit to the transferconduit and close the discharge conduit to the additional transferconduit in a first valve state, and to selectively open the dischargeconduit to the additional transfer conduit and close the dischargeconduit to the transfer conduit in a second valve state, and thediverter valve is capable of switching between the first and secondvalve states.
 20. The system of claim 14, wherein the inlet valvecomprises a ram valve directly coupling the transfer conduit to thesecond polymerization reactor.
 21. The system of claim 1, comprising:one or more continuous take-off devices disposed on the secondpolymerization reactor, each of the one or more continuous take-offdevices being capable of discharging a discharge slurry comprisingpolymer and the diluent continuously from the second polymerizationreactor; and a control system communicatively coupled to the one or morecontinuous take-off devices, wherein the control system is configured tooperate the one or more continuous take-off devices such that a pressurein the first polymerization reactor and a pressure in the secondpolymerization reactor are modulated using only continuous take-off ofthe discharge slurry from the second polymerization reactor along with afeed of polymerization components into the first polymerization reactor.22. The system of claim 9, comprising: a discharge line coupled to thefirst polymerization reactor via at least one of the one or morecontinuous take-off devices and coupling the transfer line to the firstpolymerization reactor; a diluent supply path that diverges into a firstflush path and a second flush path, wherein the first flush path isconfigured to controllably flow the diluent into the discharge line andwherein the second flush path is configured to controllably flow thediluent into the transfer line; and a withdrawal line disposed along thetransfer line and comprising a drain valve configured to enable contentsof the transfer line to be flushed into the withdrawal line using thediluent from at least the second flush path.
 23. A polymerizationreactor system, comprising: a first polymerization reactor; a secondpolymerization reactor; a transfer conduit configured to flow a transferslurry comprising particles of a first polymer in a first diluent fromthe first polymerization reactor to the second polymerization reactor; adischarge conduit coupled to an outlet of the first polymerizationreactor and fluidly coupling the first polymerization reactor to thetransfer conduit; an inlet valve coupling the transfer conduit to thesecond polymerization reactor; a withdrawal conduit disposed along thetransfer conduit and comprising a drain valve configured to enable thetransfer slurry to flow from the transfer conduit through the withdrawalconduit; a diluent supply conduit and a diluent supply pump disposedalong the diluent supply conduit, wherein the diluent supply conduitdiverges into a first flush conduit and a second flush conduit, and thediluent supply pump is capable of motivating the second diluent throughthe discharge and transfer conduits; wherein the first flush conduit isdisposed along the transfer conduit and comprises a first diluentcontrol valve configured to at least partially control a flow of asecond diluent into the transfer conduit; wherein the second flushconduit is communicatively coupled with the discharge conduit andcomprises a second diluent control valve configured to at leastpartially control a flow of the second diluent into the dischargeconduit, and the first and second diluents have identical compositions;and wherein the inlet valve, the drain valve, and the first and seconddiluent control valves are configured to coordinate valve states todirect the second diluent through the discharge and transfer conduitsand into the withdrawal conduit to flush the transfer slurry from thedischarge and transfer conduits.